Magnetostrictive transducer



May s; m9.

. R. L. PEEK, JR 2,468,837

MAGNETOSTRICTIVE TRANSDUCER Filed Aug. 2, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l A T TORNE V Mw 3, ma, R. L. PEEK, JR 2,468,337

MAGNETOSTRICTIVE TRANSDUCER Filed Aug. 2, 1945 2 ShetS-Shee'b 2` TTOR/VEV Parental May a, i949 MAGNETOSTRICTIVE TRANSDUCER 'Robert L. Peek, Jr.,'New York, N. Y., assigner to Bell Telephone Laboratories,

Incorporated, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New York ,Y Application August 2, 1945. Serial No. 608,573

l This invention relates propagation of supersonic submarine signals. One'obiect of this invention is to obtain eillcient propagation or reception of supersonic compressional wave signals ot any one oi a series of preassigned frequencies.

Another object of this invention is toV enable selective alteration of the directional pattern of a supersonic submarine signaling device.

In one illustrative embodiment of this`yinvention, a magnetostrictive device comprises an ana nular magnetostrictive core mounted to be capable of substantially free extensional vibration, a magnetic system for polarizing the core and a signal coil or coils in electromagnetic coupling relation with the core for superimposing a signal ilux upon the polarizing flux or conversely for converting` vibrations of the core into signal currents. A

' In accordance with one feature of this invention, the magnetic system aforenoted and the signal coil or coils are cooperatively associated so that the core is excited to vibrate extensionally in other than its fundamental mode whereby diierent arcuate portions of the core vibrate noncophasically or, conversely, signal currents may be induced inthe coil or coils by vibration in which the motions of "diierent portions of the core are out of phase.

More specically, in accordance with one feature of this invention, the magnetic system and the signal coil or coils are correlated to produce magnetostrictive eilects of opposite sign in adjacent sectors of the core whereby for preassigned frequencies higher than that corresponding to extensional vibration of the core in' its fundamental mode, two or more diametrically opposite nodes are produced in the core.

In accordance with a further feature of this invention, the magnet system and the coil or coils are constructed and arranged to allow selective excitation of the core for extensional vibration in either its fundamental or any one of a number of higher modes.

The invention and the above-noted and otherl features thereof will be understood more clearly and fully from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a magnetostrictive transducer illustrative of one embodiment of this invention, a portion ofthe transducer being broken away to show details of construction;

struction illustrated in 'shown in Figs. l and 2 Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along plane 2 2 of Fis. 1;

Figs. 3 to 6 incl'usive, arediagrams illustrating severalv ways in Awhich transducers of the con- Figs. 1 and 2 may be energized in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the response pattern'of transducers energized as shown in Figs. 3 and y4; and

Fig. 8 is a'diagram illustrating the response pattern of transducers energized as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. I

Referring now to the drawing,l the transducer n 2 comprises an annular unit including an annular core I0 of magnetostrictive material, for example nickel or a nickel-iron alloy, having a fabric tape covering II thereon and a signal coil or a plurality of such coils I2 wound over the covering II. The core IIl may be composed of a spiraliy wound magnetostrictive tape, adjacent turns being insulated from one another, or of a pile-up of annuli or washers of magnetostrictive material also insulated from one another.

The core I0, covering II and coil or coils I2 are impregnated with an adhesive insulating material, for example a phenolic condensation product,

to vbind them securely` together into an annular unit. This unit is mounted between a pair of plates I4, for example oi metal, resilient, e. g. rubber, rings I5 being provided between the unit and the plates so that theunit is capable of substantially free extensional vibration. If desired, a covering I3 of commercially available rubber. known as pc rubber, having substantially the same characteristics as sea water for the transmission of compressional wave energy, may be aiiixed, as by molding. to the top, bottom and outer annular faces of the unit.

Disposed between the plates and encompassed bythe annular unit is a magnet system for polarizing the core I0. This system includes one ,the unit, and an energizing or more pairs of cores or pole-pieces I6 extending outwardly from a magnetic block I i into immediate proximity to the inner annular face of winding or coil I8 for each of the cores or pole-pieces I6. The coils I8 may be associated electrically in several ways as noted hereinafter. The leading-in conductors for the coils I8 and also for the coil I2 extend througha hollow stud or bolt I9 which serves also to hold the plates I4, rings I5 and annular` unit in assembled relation.

If the coils I2 and I8 are poled so that the signal and polarizing uxes are of the same relative polaritles around the core. the core'will be excitedfor extensional vibration in its mental imode, that is all point on the core will execute oophasic radial motion and alternate ex-a pension-and contraction of the periphery of the Thus. if the transducer unit is suspended in sea water. the core will radiate oompressional wave energy substantially uniformly in all directions radially of the'core. Conversely. oi course. the unit may be -utiiized as a nondirectional receiver, sional waves incident thereon into corresponding signal currents in the coil or coils I2.

It has been found that the' core may be excited to vibrate in other than its fundamental extensional mode to produce two or multilobed directional patterns for both propagation andrecepe tion oi' compressional wave energy. More particularly, it has been found that the core may be excited in modes higher than the fundamental to produce bidirectional, quadridirectional or other response or propagating patterns. The principles involved will be understood from the following considerations.

The motion oi a ring entensional modes may vibrating in any oi its be determined from the equations: l

u=A cos 'miem (i) w==An sin mieim (2) where :the radial component of displacement of any point on the ring 4liu-the tangential component of such displacement A=a constant determined by the energy input n=zero or an integer. corresponding to the fundamental and successively higher modes c==the angle, measured from mid-way two nodes, of the point e=the Naperlan base between where I is the frequency of vibration. Ii c is the velocity oi sound in' the ring material and D the mean diameter'of the ring, thefrequency of vibration for any mode is given by the relation:

so that for vibration in the fundamental mode at a specified yfrequency the mean circumference, eD, of the ring should be substantially equal to the Wavelength corresponding to the speciiled frequency. For higher modes for any given ring, the frequency, J. of vibration, then, is

times the frequency. fo, for the fundamental mode. f

For vibration in the fundamental mode n=0, the tangential component, w, the radial component. u, is independent of the angle o so that the motion at all points on the ring is in phase. equal and radial. For vibration in other modes. however, the radial component, u, varies sinusoidally with and all parts of the ring do not vibrate in phase. For example, if 11:1, nodes oi' radial motion occur at 0:-90 degrees and 0--2'10 degrees and one-half of the ring, for example corresponding to values of c from 90 degrees to 270 degrees, vibrates in opposite phase to the other half. that is for values ol fundathat is to convert compres# strains, is the same also is zero and d e between 270 degrees and modes, i. e., n=2, 3, etc., and also phase reversals oi motion around the ring increases, the number of nodes and phase reversals being, in general. 2n.

The tangential displacement, at the nodes and a minimum. substantially. zero, at points mid-way between nodes. The strain in the ring material varies with the langle '0, and reverses in sign at the nodes. Thus, for example, ior the case where n=1, one-half oi the ring will hie in compression while the other half is in tens on.

Vibration of the magnetostrictive core ill in modes higher than the fundamental is realized by correlation ot -the polarizing and signal fluxes to provide the reversals in sign of the strains in various portions of the core in accordance with the mode desired, the sign or the strain in any portion of the core being determined, of course, by whether the ux threading that portion is increasingror decreasing or.- viewed in another way, by whether the signal luxf" aids or-opposes the polarizing ux.

A spccihc example? or the: correlation involved is illustrated in Fig. 3 for the 'case where For this case, as indicated above, there will be four nodes and phase reversals of strain aroimd the core. As shown in Fig. 3, the magnet system for polarizing the core i includes four cores or pole-pieces it in space quadrature and poled as shown. The direction yof flow of the direct current or polarizing flux for the four portions or quadrants of the core is indicated by the arrows P.- The signal coil l2 is continuous so that the signal flux path is in the same direction around the core as indicated by the arrow S. The energizins current for the signal coli i2 is obtained from a suitable source is.

it is apparent from Fig. 3 that at any instant the sign of the flux changes and, hence, of the in the quadrants AB and CD. and BC and DA, but that the sign of the flux changes in the quadrants AB and CD is opposite to that in the quadrants BC and DA. That is to say, when the signal flux is of the polarity to aid the polarizing ilux in the quadrants AB and CD. it opposes the polarizing ux in the quadrants BC and DA, and vice versa. Thus, there are four reversals oi phase of motion around the ring and four nodes are produced. Consequently, and as has been established, the directional pattern, in the plane of the core, of a submarine signal transducer of the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and wherein the polarizing and signal iluxes are of the relative directions indicated in-Fig. 3, comprises four similar primary lobes in space quadrature, the axis of the lobes being substantially coincident with the diameters at 45 degrees to the diameter between opposite nodes. In the dimensionnormal to the plane of the core, the directional pattern comprises two main lobes with axes substantially coincident withV the plane of the ring and minima at the axis normal to this plane'.

sodegrees. For higher the number of nodes The four phase reversals obtained by the corre-l lation of polarizing and in Fig. 3 may be obtained also as shown in Fig. 4.

signal fluxes illustrated In this case. the signal coil I2 is divided into four equal parts each coupled to a respective quadrant ofthe corel lil and the four coil parts are energized from the source is in such manner that adjacent coil parts are in phase opposition as l by a separate biasing orpolarizing coil connections,

indicated by the polarity signs. The relative di.. rection of the signal flux in the several quadrants is as indicatedby the arrows S: the

be obtained winding as indicated by the arrow P and may or by remanence in the core. y

Transducers for producing a. bidirectional pattern are illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6; In the former, the signal coil I2 is continuousaround the 'core I0 and the two halves of the core id are polarized. oppositely tive directions of the signal and polarizing fluxes beingindicated by the tively. The excitation, then, is for the mode for which Two nodes and phase reversals are produced, the

directional pattern in the plane of the core comprises two similar primary lobes. the axes of which are substantially coincident with the diameter normal to' the magnet I6, and the directional pattern in the direction normal to this plane comprises two primary lobeswith minima on the core axis normal to the plane of the core.

polarizing flux has the same direction around the core Id by the magnet IB, the relai arrows Sl and P, respecyselectively for excitatin or' response in anyoi several modes, i. e.. those for which n=0, 1 or 2.

although in the devices mustrated in rigs. i, I

diametral magnet is employed, if the signal coil i2 is continuous as illustrated in Fig, 5, the device will be conditioned for vibration in the mode for which n=1. If the signal coil I 2 isdivided into two halves and these are connected in phase oppositiomthe device may be conditioned for operation in the fundamental mode inasmuch as the signal and polarizing iluxes will be in the same polarity relation around the core; l- Of course, the coil I2 may be divided into more than four parts, or more than two pairs of polepieces I8 may be employed, to obtain vibration of the core I0 in modes higher than that for which =2 and, hence, to produce a. directional pattern. in the plane of the core, having a correspondingly greater number of primary lobes or to propagate signals o f correspondingly higher frequency.

Further, inasmuch as the impedance of the transducer is dependent upon the mode for which it is connected to vibrate, the transducer unit may In Fig. 6, the signal coil I2 is divided into two halves operated in phase opposition as indicated by the polarity signs and signal iiux arrows S and the polarizing flux has the same direction around,

the core as indicated by the arrow P. The directional patterns for the construction shown in Fig. 6 are of the same form as those for the construction shown in Fig. 5 and described above.

'I'he directional patterns` noted above obtain for both propagation and reception of compressional waves. When the transducer is utilized for reception, the signal coil nected. of course, to a suitable output circuit or circuits and the output current or currents. for cases where the coilsare connected for extensional vibration of the core I Ii at modes higher than the fundamental. will be dependent upon thedirection of the source of the compressional waves received, relative to the transducer. The latter may be mounted for rotation about the axis thereof normal to its plane or about one of its diameters so that the direction noted may be determined by rotating the transducer until the l output current is a minimum.

changing the connections of the Signal coils or ofV the polarizing winding. Thus, for example, in a be utilized as a filter, exhibiting a large change in impedance at any one of a series of frequencies. any one of which may be selected, for example by switching of the polarizing flux producing circuits. e

Although specific embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, it will-be understood that they are but illustrative and that various modiiications may be made therein without departing from the 'scope and spirit of this inventionas defined in the appended claims.

or coils I2 are con- What is claimed is:

1. A magnetostrictive device comprising an annular magnetostrictive core, means mounting said core for substantially free extensional vibration, and means for exciting said core to a produce out-of-phase magnetostrictive action in adjacent arcuate portions thereof for effecting extensional vibration of said core in a mode higherthan its fundamental.

2. A magnetostrictive device comprising an annular magnetostrictive core, means mounting said core for substantially free extensional vibration, means for polarizing said core, and signal coil means in electromagnetic coupling relation transducer of the construction illustrated in Figs.

1 and 2, iflthe coils I8 are connected to provide polarizing iluxes of the polarities indicated in Fig. 3, the deviceis conditioned for excitationA or response in the mode for which 11:2. By simply changing the connections of the coils I8 to provide polarizing ux polarities as indicated in Fig. 5, the same device is conditioned for excitation or response in the mode for which 11:1. Further, if the coils I 8 are not energized, the same device is conditioned for operation in the fundamental mode, for which n=0, the polarizing flux being obtained, for example, by remanence -in the core or by a direct current supplied to the winding i2. Similar! as will be apparent, in a structure wherein an auxiliary winding 20 is provided for production of the polarizing flux, by appropriately correlating the polarizing and signal with said core, said polarizing and signal coil means being relatively poledv to produce magnetcstrictive eiects of opposite sign in adjacent arcuate portions of said core. v

3. A magnetostrictive device comprising an annular magnetostrictive core, means mounting y said core for substantially free extensional vibration, means for polarizing adjacent arcuate segments of said core in opposite directions, and signal coil means in such electromagnetic coupling relation with said sections that the signal and polarizing iiuxes in said adjacent sections are in opposite relation.

4. A magnetostrictive device comprising an annular magnetostrictive core, means mounting said' core for substantially free extensional vibration, means for producing a polarizing flux threading said core circumferentially and having the same direction around the core, and a pair of signal coils coupled respectively to spaced arcuate segments of said' core and oppositely poled. A

5. A magnetostrictive device comprising an the device may be conditioned annular magnetostrictive core, means mounting ,for polarizing said quadrants in l halves of said core in 6. A magnetostrictive device comprising an- A pling relation with said core.

annular magnetostrictive core. means mounting) said core for substantially iree extensional vibration, a pair of oppositely poled signal coils in electromagnetic coupling relation respectively with adjacent quadrants of said core. and means the same direction. t

i7. A magnetostrictive device comprising an annular magnetostrictive core. means mounting .said core for substantially tree extensional vibration, means for polarizing the semicircular opposite directions, and a signal coil Wound in the same direction about both said halves.

8. A magnetostrictive devicel comprising an annular magnetostrictive core, means mounting said core for substantially free extensional vibration. means for polarizing the Your quadrants of said core. adjacent quadrants being oppositely polarized. and a signal coil wound in the same direction about said four quadrants.

9. A magnetostrictive device comprising an annular magnetostrictive core, means mounting said core for substantially free extensional vibration, a signal coil in direct electromagnetic coulili and means for polarizing said core to produce. circumierentiaily around the core, a pluralityot reversals in the sign oi the magnetostrictive eect in response to signal currents supplied to said coil.

i0. n. magnetostrictive device comprising ,an annular magnetostrictive core. means mounting said core for substantially tree extensional vibration, means for polarizing said core circumferentially, and signal coil means wound about said core, said polarizing and signal coil means being relatively poled so that the polarizing and signal iiuxes in a series of spaced arcuate segments of the core are in aiding relation and are in opposing relation in the segments intermediate said spaced segments. ROBERT L. PEEK, Ja.

nanannnoes crean The following references are of record in the ille of this patent: 

